Ghana coronation ends 16-year dispute

Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama II was installed as chief after years of protracted disagreementsImage caption: Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama II was installed as chief after years of protracted disagreements

Traditional leaders,
government officials and foreign dignitaries all gathered in Yendi town in northern Ghana to witness
the coronation of a new traditional chief known locally as Yaa-Naa.

The event to crown Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama II was filled with
pomp and fanfare amidst drumming and dancing.

Before his appointment he was the
paramount chief of Savelugu traditional area in northern Ghana and a successful
farmer.

As the Ya-Naa, he appoints all the important chiefs in the northern kingdom of Dagbon and becomes the overseer of the land of Dagbon, covering more than 4,000SqKm (1,544 sq miles) and with a population of one million people.

Dagbon had been without a
Yaa-Naa following years of protracted chieftaincy disputes, which started after
the death of Ya-Naa Yakubu Andani in 2002.

The delayed final funeral rites of
two previous Yaa-Naas were conducted recently after a family peace deal.

The son of late Ya-Naa Yakubu Adani, Kampakuya Naa
Yakubu Adani acted as the traditional leader until Friday's coronation of the new
chief.

The crisis has stalled development in northern region, considered as one of
the poorest in the country.

President Nana Akufor
Addo, who attended the ceremony, called on the new chief to begin the process of reconciliation.

Traditional authorities are seen as a link between their subjects and the
government.

They also help in bring development to their traditional
areas. The coronation of the new chief is seen as a major step towards ensuring economic development in the area.

Mohammed BondirigbumCopyright: Mohammed Bondirigbum

Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo was among the attendeesImage caption: Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo was among the attendees

Mozambique orders arrest over $2bn fraud scandal

Jose Tembe

BBC Africa, Maputo

AFPCopyright: AFP

Manuel Chang is currently in South African police custodyImage caption: Manuel Chang is currently in South African police custody

Mozambique’s Supreme Court has ordered the preventive detention of former
Finance Minister Manuel Chang should he be extradited from South Africa where he has been arrested in connection with a $2bn (£1.5bn) fraud scheme.

The judges also asked parliament to lift his immunity from prosecution, which he enjoys as former MP and minister.

He was taken in to custody in late December after a warrant was issued by the US authorities, who want to extradite him to New York to stand trial on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud and securities fraud.

US prosecutors say that through a series of financial transactions between approximately 2013 and 2016, Mr Chang and others created fraudulent maritime projects and used state-owned companies in Mozambique as fronts to raise loans, some arranged by Credit Suisse.

But Mozambique's government says it wants to prosecute 17 people alleged to be involved in the scandal, including Mr Chang who denies any wrongdoing.

It has now also requested Mr Chang's return - and the South African courts must now consider both extradition requests.

When Mozambique's government revealed in 2016 that it had taken the undisclosed loans, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and foreign donors to cut off support.

This triggered a currency collapse and a default on Mozambique’s sovereign debt. It is still struggling to overcome from the debt crisis.

The government says it wants to try the case in the hope that it can recover some of the money.

'President Bashir must leave' - opposition leader

Sadiq al-Mahdi is the leader of Sudan's opposition Umma PartyImage caption: Sadiq al-Mahdi is the leader of Sudan's opposition Umma Party

Veteran Sudanese opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi has given his most overt backing to the protests against Omar al-Bashir, calling for the president's immediate resignation.

The 83-year-old, who once served as prime minister, was speaking at Friday prayers in the city of Omdurman, across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum, where for the past five weeks, there have been almost daily protests against the government.

On Thursday, three people were killed in what appeared to be the biggest demonstrations yet against Mr Bashir.

There have been further clashes on Friday in at least one town in central Sudan.

In 2016, when he was still president, Mr Mugabe reportedly took the money to his rural home in Zvimba in a black briefcase, giving the suitcase to Constance Mugabe, a relative who also served as his housekeeper, for safe keeping.

Last March, four months after he had been forced out of office by the military, he asked for the briefcase, but Constance Mugabe said she did not know its whereabouts.

He later asked other staff to look for it - and this was when it was found but with only $78,000 inside, The Herald reports.

The suspected thieves allegedly spent the money on cars, homes and animals.

UK and US issue visa warning to Nigerians

The main opposition PDP is hoping their candidate Atiku Abubakar will winImage caption: The main opposition PDP is hoping their candidate Atiku Abubakar will win

The US and UK governments have threatened to impose visa bans against anyone found guilty of either instigating
violence or plotting to rig the elections in Nigeria.

In separate statements on
Thursday the two countries pledged their commitment to ensuring the 16 February elections would be free and fair.

This seems the strongest international
warning so far to Nigerian politicians.

Polls
in Africa’s most populous nation have often been fraught with controversies including allegations of manipulation of results, vote buying and violence.

A
lot of Nigerian politicians are fond of travelling to the UK and US for holiday or business.

It is hoped the visa ban warning will strike home with those who may be plotting to undermine the
2019 election.

The British
government says it will particularly monitor social media accounts encouraging
violence during the elections.

The warning comes less
than a week after former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed doubts
on the ability of Independent National Electoral Commission (Inect) to conduct a
free fair and credible election.

Both Western countries issued a similar warning ahead of the 2015 election.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

President Muhammdu Buhari from the APC is seeking re-electionImage caption: President Muhammdu Buhari from the APC is seeking re-election

Elim Shafi, the deputy county commissioner for Nakuru county, confirmed the incident and told the BBC that police were investigating.

Area Chief David Kirui told the Star newspaper that the teacher was hit on the head with a blunt object that opened up his skull.

"He died a few minutes before we could rush him to the hospital,” Mr Kirui said.

The school director, Vitalis Kahenda, also told the Star that the teacher had confiscated a mobile phone from a student whom he spotted receiving it from two outsiders through the school's fence at around 18:00 local (15:00 GMT).

“He [the teacher] had shared information on the confiscated mobile phone but had not yet handed it over to the management since it was late. The school policy is such phones are confiscated and handed over to the administration,” Mr Kahenda is quoted as saying.

"AfriForum finds it worrisome that the university, notwithstanding many international research projects and expert opinions, still does not understand that unilingual education, in fact, undermines social cohesion and increases the potential for conflict and student non-performance."

Algeria journalist dies after self-immolation

A television producer in Algeria has died,
more than two weeks after he set himself on fire because of what he said were
unpaid wages.

Youcef Goucem, 61, carried out the act of self-harm inside the offices of Dzair TV.

The channel
said it regretted "a commercial dispute that had unfortunately turned into
a drama" and that Mr Goucem had been reassured that his pay claim - which
dated back to 2017 - was being processed.

SA teacher caught in race row to return to school

.Copyright: .

White and black schoolchildren were seated apart from each other at the school in Schweizer-RenekeImage caption: White and black schoolchildren were seated apart from each other at the school in Schweizer-Reneke

Elana Barkhuizen was suspended on 10 January after an image of white and black pupils seating at separate desks was shared online.

The image had been initially posted on a parents' WhatsApp group.

Sello Lehari, the education minister for the North West province, said the Schweizer-Reneke school's explanation was that "the learners were separated according to those who could understand Afrikaans and English".

The picture sparked protests leading to tense confrontations between white and black residents inside and outside the school premises.

In her defence, Ms Barkhuizen said she was not the one who had sat the children.

She said she was only supervising them because her class was next door and only took the photograph to send to parents who were inquiring about their children, The Citizen news site reports.

She said the school authorities did not listen to her explanation.

The teacher who sat the pupils remains in the school despite Ms Lehari saying two more people were going to be suspended, News24 reports.

Labour Court Judge Connie Prinsloo found Ms Barkhuizen had not been given a hearing before being suspended.

"I am very happy. I want to thank everybody who supported and was there for me. I am happy that justice has been served," Ms Barkhuizen said after the ruling.

Though the judge ruled that she could return to the school on Friday she opted to apply for leave for a few days, which has been granted, News24 reports.

Sudan death toll rises

Three people were killed on Thursday in Sudan as anti-government
protests spread to more towns in the country, the Central Committee of Sudan’s Doctors, an organisation playing a
key role in the demonstrations, said.

Officials report that 30 people have died since protests
broke out on 19 December, but rights groups say the number is much
higher.

Protest leaders have called for Friday prayers to be held in public
places today, a move that could be viewed as being provocative.

Two of the dead were university
students – one was hit by a bullet directly to his
chest and another tortured allegedly by security forces, the doctors' group said.

On Thursday, thousands
took to the streets in what has been described as the biggest day yet of
anti-government protests.

Rising prices of fuel and bread triggered the demonstrations in
December.

But in recent weeks, protesters have been demanding an end to
President Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule.

Government forces have responded with teargas, bullets and
arrests.

Hundreds of protesters including opposition figures, activists and
journalists have been arrested. Some international journalists have had their
accreditation revoked.